


Wish You Were Here

by addledwalrus



Category: Original Work
Genre: 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1970s music, 1980s, 1980s music, Abuse, Abusive Parents, Break Up, Character Development, Childhood Friends, Complete, Dating, Disco, Drama, Dreams and Nightmares, Eventual Happy Ending, F/M, Family Issues, Female Characters, Female Friendship, First Love, Flashbacks, Higher Education, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Inspired by Music, Male-Female Friendship, Mild Sexual Content, Minor Character Death, Originally Posted Elsewhere, Past Child Abuse, Past Relationship(s), Sexual Tension, Slice of Life, Some Humor, Teenagers, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-07
Updated: 2016-07-13
Packaged: 2018-07-12 20:19:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 19,947
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7121167
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/addledwalrus/pseuds/addledwalrus
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Two childhood friends go their separate ways as they navigate the late 1970s to early 1980s.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> This is a follow up to 'In the Still of the Night' and 'Somebody to Love'. Some of the characters from those two stories will have minor appearances in this one. 
> 
> The title comes from the song by Pink Floyd.

"...See what happens when you focus?"

Steve Donovan glanced up at his English teacher and then down at his marked essay. He feigned indifference and gave his teacher a lazy shrug, only to eagerly go through the pages once the man's back was turned.

It was hard to believe that he'd received a B plus for his work, especially when he barely remembered writing it.

_"Well, I guess I must have been high..."_

The school bell rung and class was dismissed for the day. Steve found his path blocked by several of his classmates and he sighed impatiently while they loitered around.

It took a while for Steve to realize they were all talking excitedly about senior prom. He didn't really understand what was so special about that yearly event though, for the type of dancing and the music that was usually played didn't really appeal to his tastes. He thought himself to be more of a rock fan and cheesy, sentimental pop lyrics were often enough to make him cringe in disgust.

* * *

Barbara emerged from the hall where she had just sat for the math exam, feeling relieved that the ordeal was over while also being consumed with dread over what grade she would eventually receive.

She reached her locker and removed her school bag upon entering her combination. She shut her locker and received quite the shock when she found herself face to face with Kevin, an awkward and gangly boy from her math class.

"Hi, Barbara...can I ask you something?" Kevin began with a sheepish grin, as he leaned against her locker in a poor attempt to look relaxed.

"Sure. Go ahead."

"Don't get the wrong idea from this, but...I was wondering if you'd like to go to the prom with me?"

Barbara managed to hide her annoyance and looked at Kevin while putting on a fake smile.

"It's really nice of you to ask, but I've already found someone. Sorry." She replied, causing Kevin's grin to fade almost instantly.

"...I guess I should have known a girl like you would say that. You're out of my league anyway, aren't you?" He muttered bitterly before trudging away down the hall.

Barbara walked along in the opposite direction, knowing that his request would most likely be the last prom invitation she'd receive for the year.

She found herself beginning to regret declining his offer, for just as something was better than nothing, going with someone unattractive was better than going with nobody at all.

The knowledge that her parents would be disappointed with her if she didn't attend the prom only filled her with more dismay as she departed through the school gates alone.

She reached home half an hour later and a potential solution sprung up in her mind. She knew just who she would ask, though it remained to be seen how he would react to her request.


	2. Tonight's the Night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just like in 'Somebody to Love', most of the chapters in this story will be named after songs from the era in which it is set.
> 
> In this case, it's a Rod Stewart song that was released in 1976.

Steve felt like a fool standing in the corridor with Barbara while fellow classmates gawked at the sight of them together. What he had hoped would be at least a bearable experience was quickly becoming an unusual form of public humiliation. He quickly glanced down at the formal suit that he'd borrowed from Barbara's father, before reaching out and grabbing her hand in desperation.

"Let's just get out of here..." He said to her urgently and to his relief, she understood and immediately pulled him into an empty room where they could be alone.

They waited in the darkness until most of the other students had cleared the area outside, which allowed Steve to feel more comfortable as they entered the gymnasium that had been decorated to resemble a dance hall.

They sat down at the nearest empty table and listened in boredom to the principal's speech until some music was put on, signalling that it was time to dance.

It was exactly the sort of music that Steve was afraid he would hear and he politely declined Barbara's invitation to join her on the floor. She sighed in disappointment and left him at the table to watch passively as she danced alone while surrounded by happy couples.

He felt a little guilty about forcing her to be without a partner, so he reluctantly stood up to awkwardly sidestep alongside her until the party was over.

* * *

He spent the early hours of the morning in her bedroom, waiting for her to finish showering and change into more casual clothing. He considered knocking on the bathroom door and yelling for her to hurry up, only for her to emerge seconds later with only a towel wrapped around her upper body.

She sat down on the bed, causing him to notice her slender figure and the way she crossed her legs as if to tease him. Blood rushed to his face and ears as impure thoughts entered his mind. He averted his eyes and quickly strode into the bathroom whilst trying to contain his feelings of lust.

 _"Maybe she feels the same about me. Why else would she parade around half-naked? I've got to stay calm..."_ His thoughts raced while he tore off his formal outfit with the intention of returning it as soon as he was finished.

Once he was back in the clothes he'd been wearing before the prom, he walked back into the bedroom to find to both his relief and dismay that Barbara was now dressed modestly in a plain t-shirt and pants.

"Sorry about earlier, I should have taken my clothes into the bathroom before I showered."

Steve swallowed while he tried to think of the best way to tell her of his feelings. He remembered a magazine article about how it was better to be oneself than pretend and decided to follow said advice.

"Barbara, since you're going to law school in August, I thought there was something I should say..."

"What is it?."

"I...I love you..."

The air in the room seemed to become stifling as soon as he uttered the words and all he could do was wait in uncertainty for her response.

"I love you too, you know..." Barbara finally replied after a long silence. His hopes lifted, but they were soon crushed by what she said afterwards.

"...but I don't think I'm ready to make a commitment..."

"What do you mean?" He asked impatiently, refusing to believe what he was hearing and wishing it were all just a cruel joke.

"Well, I'm leaving this place soon and for all I know, it'll be three years before we even get a chance together..."

"Then I'll wait. We can still hang out during vacations, right?"

"I...I'm not sure, actually."

"Huh?"

Barbara noticed the desperation in his eyes and realized then that his feelings were too strong for anyone to reason with, let alone her.

The thought of such a seemingly deep love made her feel rather flattered, but at the same time, she was also frightened that things would spiral out of control at a moment's notice, which was a situation best avoided anyway possible.

"I'm sorry..." She eventually spoke up after clearing her throat. "My parents are downstairs. I think it's best you leave now, before they start to get suspicious."

Steve quietly considered her suggestion within just a few seconds, reluctantly expressed his agreement and headed downstairs to finally allow her solitude.

She collapsed upon the bed once he was gone, the full realization that school was over and adulthood had begun worrying her more than she'd ever anticipated.


	3. Black Dog

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve isn't sure how to deal with his mother's little surprise party. Meanwhile, Barbara is yet again reminded of how embarrassing her parents can be.
> 
> The title of this chapter comes from the song by Led Zeppelin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anyone who knows their movie history should be able to guess what film Barbara's parents went to see.

Steve stepped off the bus and thanked the driver for letting him ride without paying. The driver simply rolled their eyes and slammed a foot on the accelerator, leaving him choking in a cloud of exhaust gas.

He carried his bag the rest of the way home until he arrived at the small rundown house where he lived with his mother Grace. He crossed the porch and upon finding that the front door was wide open, began to fear the worst. Childhood experiences had taught him that an open front door meant one of two things; either his mother was busy making love to some strange man she'd invited over, or somebody had broken in and now had her at their mercy.

Steve sincerely hoped that it wasn't the latter, despite the fact that there were times when he really couldn't stand her spiteful ways. He walked quietly inside and braced himself for a distressing sight, only to freeze in his tracks when he saw a large cake on the kitchen bench and his mother rummaging through the drawers for a knife.

"What's going on?" He forced himself to ask.

Grace stood up and turned to face her son in silence for a moment, before a large smile slowly crept across her face and she rushed forward to wrap him in a tight hug.

"Steven, I'm so proud of you..." She sighed as a tear fell from her eye.

Steve flinched and managed to wrestle himself free from his mother's arms. He crossed to the other side of the room to distance himself from her, catching sight of an empty bottle of alcohol along the way.

"Mom, are you drunk? There's nothing for you to be proud of."

"Don't be stupid, boy." Grace snapped in irritation. "I never got to finish high school, unlike you..."

"That was your own fault."

"Don't you say that, your father was the one who took advantage of me!"

"Yeah, sure..." Steve whispered quietly enough so that his mother couldn't catch his words. He dared not to say anything else to her for the rest of the afternoon for fear of making her fly into a rage, as he had almost done before. Instead, he obediently helped himself to some of the cake she'd bought, while she popped open another bottle of beer.

She guzzled down the drink like she was a camel that had found water in the desert. Steve stared as the pungent liquid dripped from her mouth and trickled down her soft neck. His eyes traveled downwards until they were fixed on the way her waist and hips seemed to gyrate ever so slightly while she drank.

It was watching his mother move in a manner unfitting of most women of her age which reminded him that he owed his existence solely to the fact that she had slept around so much in her teenage years.

He forced himself to look away, convincing himself that it was simply another one of his mother's ways of keeping him under her thumb. He tried instead to think of Barbara and his failed attempt to win her over. He felt his chest ache as he realized that it was uncertain when he would see her again, at which he desperately prayed that she would have the restraint not to be swayed by the many city boys who would undoubtedly try to make a pass at her.

After all, he was the only one who truly deserved her, for he had been with her through thick and thin over the past twelve years and she'd be hard pressed to find anyone else as devoted as he was.

* * *

Barbara sat at her bedroom desk doing a practice exam while one of her parents' easy listening records played behind her. She had often found such music dull and insipid as a child, but now that she was grown up and going through a stressful time, it seemed like a blessing to listen to such songs when she needed to relax.

She was eventually distracted from her study by the sound of her parents' voices downstairs and she rushed down to greet them, before asking how their outing had been.

It had become an annual tradition for her father to take her mother to the movies on her birthday and it was apparent this year that they had watched some strange horror-comedy musical, judging by the way they spoke about the many shocking things that had happened onscreen.

Barbara could only wish that she had been there with them, for the idea of three apparently clashing mediums being combined astounded her and she wondered how it was even possible to make such an absurd premise work.

"Well, it was certainly...interesting..." Her mother Lesley commented as they sat together down at the table.

"Interesting? More like confusing. I couldn't tell which of the dancers were men and which were women..."

Barbara couldn't help but crack a smile at their amusing comments. She opened her mouth to ask her mother about the actual plot of the film, but the woman spoke up before she could.

"You know, Barbara. There's something your father and I never told you, because we thought you wouldn't be able to handle it."

"...And you think I'm ready to hear it now?"

"Why not? You're eighteen and we know you're our daughter."

Barbara swallowed nervously and wondered what her mother was about to reveal that needed to be kept a secret for so long.

"Shall I tell her, dear?"

"Go ahead. She's old enough to know about these things."

"Alright, here goes. When I was pregnant with you, your father took me to the doctor for an x-ray. Of course, back in those days the technology wasn't as advanced as it is now, so when we looked at the picture..."

"What?"

"How shall I put it? Well, we thought you were a boy, because...you know..."

"Oh my god..."

"...We were going to name you Richard..." Lesley continued, skirting over the cruder details, much to her husband's disappointment. "If only we had known that it was a tailbone and that you were actually a girl. You really had us fooled..."

Barbara stood up from her chair and ran from the room in embarrassment. She retreated back upstairs to her room, where the practice exam was still waiting to be completed.

 _"God, it's a good thing Steve wasn't around to hear that..."_ She thought as she downed a glass of water in an attempt to cool herself down.


	4. I'd Really Love to See You Tonight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve gets a job at a hardware store, while Barbara attempts to make amends with him.
> 
> The title of this chapter comes from the song by England Dan and John Ford Coley.

Steve boarded the bus towards the city and avoided eye contact with the driver as he took a seat without presenting any money or ticket. The driver glared at his reflection disapprovingly through the rear view mirror, causing Steve's body to grow tense, before switching gears and pulling away from the sidewalk.

Steve stared out of the window while the bus sped along on the highway, thinking about the job interview he would be attending in a couple of hours and how it would hopefully mean an end to his freeloading.

He reached his destination several minutes earlier than he had planned. He decided to pass the time by running over possible interview questions in his head and mentally reciting answers back to the imaginary old man with spectacles.

 _"Well, this is it..."_ He thought with a heavy sigh when the time finally came for him to enter the building.

He walked through the sliding doors while glancing at his watch a final time, before approaching a store assistant who happened to be standing around idly.

* * *

Barbara entered the living room, where her cousin Christopher was watching some surreal cartoon on television. He didn't respond to her presence when she sat down on the couch beside him, which she took as a sign that she was perfectly welcome to be his companion for the day.

Familiar opening titles accompanied by a catchy tune soon began to play and a feeling of nostalgia overcame Barbara when she quickly recognized the show her cousin was watching.

"I used to watch this show when I was your age." She recalled fondly, turning to smile at Christopher. "Are the new episodes any better than the old ones?"

"I don't know." He replied without taking his eyes off the screen.

Barbara figured that it was strange for a girl in her late teens to be as engrossed in a wacky children's show as an eight year old boy, but she couldn't care less when the show just happened to be the one she used to watch with Steven in her younger years.

Her thoughts drifted farther back to the times when they would ride their bikes together, eat ice cream and get into all sorts of mischief.

Somewhere down the line however, Steve must have come to regard her as more than just a friend and while she did feel a little affection in return, the idea of a full commitment frightened her.

* * *

The episode was over before Barbara could even bring herself to focus on the plot and she was left a little confused as to what had taken place on screen. That didn't bother her however, for something much more pressing was now on her mind.

She reached for the remote control and turned off the television, before making a proposal she knew he wouldn't be very thrilled about.

"Chris, how about I take you to the record store? I need to buy a present for a friend."

"Whatever. You're not allowed to leave me alone at home anyway."

Barbara stared at her cousin in disbelief upon hearing his apathetic response. She wondered what kind of parenting methods her aunt and uncle practiced that would create such a child, before shrugging it off and dragging Christopher off the couch so that they could prepare to go out.

She made sure to double check that the front door was properly locked before they strolled down the street together.

* * *

Barbara quickly adjusted her large hat and sunglasses upon walking into the record store with Christopher. She initially made an effort to keep the young boy at her side at all times, but he eventually grew bored and ditched her so that he could admire the bold posters that adorned one of the walls.

All that she could hope for as she explored the rock music section was that her cousin had the sense not to submit to strange men or leave the store on his own. The cover of one album caught her attention in particular and she picked up a copy, turning it around so that she could look at the track list.

Albums by all-female rock bands were usually hard to come by, so she wasted no time in putting it in her basket before turning her mind towards finding something Steven would enjoy.

It took an hour of continuously poring through the stacks of records on each shelf for her to realize the best choice. She grabbed two Alice Cooper albums and dropped them in the basket in a hurry so that she could move on to retrieving her cousin.

She found him ogling a poster of a scantily clad woman and in disgust, she dragged him by the arm all the way to the checkout. After making her payment and exiting the store, she saw the sullen look on her cousin's face and found herself feeling guilty for being so harsh with him.

_"Who am I to judge an eight year old? It's not his fault that his hormones make him do weird things..."_

"...I think that man was looking at your boobs..."

Barbara spun around and slapped her cousin in the face without thinking, leaving a large white mark where her hand met his cheek. He stared at her unflinchingly as the color slowly returned to his face and despite her later attempt to apologize, he remained silent for the rest of the journey home.

* * *

"So, who are you giving those records to?" Christopher asked her while she was busy wrapping up the two albums she'd bought.

"My friend Steven." She replied, putting the finishing touches on her special package.

"You mean your boyfriend."

"He's not my boyfriend."

"But you like him, don't you?"

Barbara put down her scissors and raised her head to look Christopher in the eyes.

"Where did you get that idea?"

"You look at him strange every time he's around."

"I do?"

"Yeah, it's like you want to have sex with him..."

Barbara had to bite her lip and take a deep breath to resist swearing or hitting her cousin in anger again. Once she was confident that her emotions were under control, she cleared her throat and forced herself to change the subject.

"Listen, why don't we go back to watching TV?"

"Okay..." Christopher responded meekly, before leaping from his chair and running back to the living room.

The news came on and Barbara tried her best to focus on the stories being reported for the afternoon, rather than dig too deeply into her cousin's words.

* * *

Barbara was greatly relieved when her aunt and uncle finally returned from their long day out. She hugged them both tightly in gratitude and left as soon as she could, much to their confusion.

She clutched her package to her chest all the way to Steve's house and waited excitedly to see his face upon knocking on the front door. His mother Grace answered the call instead and she froze in disappointment at the thought of having to explain her sudden presence.

"If you're looking for Steven, he's out working." Grace said coldly, as if she were able to read her mind.

"Working where?"

"At some hardware store in the city. He should be home at around midnight."

"...Well, could you make sure he gets my gift?" Barbara requested sadly as her heart sank at being unable to see her friend again before she was due to leave home.

Grace sighed and took the package away from Barbara without a word before slamming the door in her face. Barbara stood in shock and did not move for almost a minute.

She eventually managed to regain her composure and slowly retraced the path back to her own house, where she would no doubt have to explain to her parents why she was home late.

* * *

A man's voice from down below startled Steve while he stood on a ladder, stacking cans of paint on a tall shelf. He made sure that all of the items were in stable positions before he carefully climbed down to speak to the stranger.

"How may I help you, sir?" He asked in the most pleasant tone of voice he could muster up, despite his growing irritation.

"Steven, don't you recognize me?" The man replied, raising a thick eyebrow in disbelief.

It was then that Steve took in all of the man's facial features and a light seemed to turn on in his head.

"Ross? What are you doing here?"

"I knew you'd remember me, son. By the way, I came here because some of the furniture in my new apartment is in need of fixing."

"And you had no idea that I was working here. What a coincidence." Steve remarked sarcastically.

"I'll give you the address so you can come over sometime soon. It's only a few minutes walk from here." Ross explained, reaching into his pocket for a pen and small piece of paper. He scribbled down a few words and numbers and handed the paper to Steve before walking off to find the tools department.

Steve remembered how Ross had left him after a bitter falling out with his mother and he briefly contemplated simply discarding the written address and forgetting all about his chance encounter. However, he soon realized that his father was hardly to blame for being unable to deal with his mother's difficult nature.

He hid the piece of paper safely in his bag after his shift was over and decided to take the long way home.


	5. Bohemian Rhapsody

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve befriends a homeless man. Barbara meets a former friend/rival and falls victim to a sadistic professor.
> 
> This chapter was named after none other than a certain song by Queen.

There was a homeless elderly man whom Steve would often see hanging around the bus shelter where he sat every night. During the first week in which he started work, Steve hardly even noticed that he wasn't alone while he waited for the bus, only realizing the other person's presence when they approached to ask for some spare change.

"I'm sorry, I don't have any money on me." Steve had nervously replied, only to feel overwhelmed by guilt when he saw the way the old man trembled and curled up in an attempt to keep warm.

Steve decided to take a chance the following night and offered the old man a few small coins despite his own misgivings. The old man had smiled in gratitude as he took the money, before leaving the bus shelter and returning a few minutes later with a loaf of bread. Steve politely declined when a handful of crust and crumbs extended in his direction.

A couple of months passed and the old man gradually stopped huddling in corners in favor of sitting out in the open where passers by could see him more clearly. Steven couldn't help but wonder if he was partially to thank for the change in behavior, but he forced himself to stay modest while telling himself that anybody else would have done the exact same thing.

One particular night in August, after having grown accustomed to the old man's apparent inability to speak, Steve received a shock when he heard a deep and weathered voice mumble beside him. It took several seconds for him to figure out what the old man was saying, but once he understood, he began to listen intently.

"They called me a hero when I returned, but I sure didn't feel like one..." The old man said sadly with a shake of the head, as he finished his story and left Steve with more questions running through his mind than answers.

"What about your family? Didn't they try to help you?" Steve spoke up, eager to discover more about the self-proclaimed war veteran's mysterious past.

The old man didn't seem to hear either of the two questions however and he stared down at the pavement while breaking into an apparently unrelated topic.

"I had a son who turned seventeen back in '55, you know. He looked kind of like you-"

The sound of the approaching bus drowned out the rest of the old man's sentence and by the time Steve was able to hear clearly again, the driver was beckoning impatiently for him to board the bus so that the other passengers could continue on their journey.

Steve reluctantly left the old man's side and gave a wave goodbye, before paying his fares and taking a seat. As the bus engine roared back to life and the driver pulled away from the shelter, he glanced out of the window to find that the homeless man waving back.

He looked away as a feeling of contentment arose inside him, though his thoughts soon strayed to how he would deal with his mother once he got home.

* * *

Barbara carried a pile of books on the way to her first class while filled with uncertainty over what the rest of the year would have in store for her.

 _"You'll be just fine. If you could pass all those exams in high school, you can pass here..."_ She tried to console herself, but her efforts proved ineffectual when she looked around and found that many of her classmates seemed to be in their late twenties or older.

 _"I can't be the youngest person here, can I?"_ She thought as she found herself staring at a man with prominent sideburns and facial hair.

The sensation of a hand suddenly resting upon her shoulder caused her to jump as she spun around.

"Gloria, what are you doing here?" She asked the dark skinned girl standing before her.

"Don't you remember? I told you I was going to law school too."

"You did? I guess my memory must be failing..."

"Funny you should say that. You never forget anything about Steven..." Gloria muttered quietly with a sigh.

"What did you say?"

"I mean, how's Steven been lately? Is he still a loner?"

Barbara recalled the last encounter she'd had with Steven and his mother, before giving the most tactful answer she could think of.

"Yeah, he hasn't changed much. You and I are still the only girls he feels comfortable around..."

"That's a shame..." Gloria sighed, shaking her head slightly in concern. "He's not a bad looking guy..."

"...But I heard he got a job at some hardware store, so I guess he's doing alright." Barbara hastily added in an attempt to brighten up the conversation and to her relief, Gloria began to smile just as she'd hoped.

"Well, I guess this means he'll be richer than us by the time we graduate."

Barbara laughed in amusement at the other girl's musings, only for her joy to fade when she realized the harsh truth of the statement. Her expression became serious as she realized the sacrifice she would be making by spending another three years studying and as if on cue, the doors to the lecture hall swung open to further remind her of the long battle she and Gloria were about to partake in.

* * *

Steve checked his watch to find in disappointment that the bus was now at least five minutes late. He turned to look at the old man seated beside him with the intent of starting a casual conversation, only to hold his words when he saw the way a nearby street light shone on the other's sleeping face.

He didn't want to interrupt the old man's rest, so he sat still and kept as quiet as he could while hoping his bus was simply caught up in heavy traffic.

Another five minutes passed and Steve began to feel an inexplicable sense of unease that far exceeded the impatience most people received from having to wait for a tardy driver. He turned to the homeless man again, this time finding that the expression on his face was no longer peaceful.

Steve extended his hand to lightly touch him on the shoulder and to his shock, the old man's head suddenly sagged while his body began to topple forwards. Steve caught him before he could fall any further and nudged him back into a sitting position before hastily wiping his own hands on his pants.

Steve continued to stare at the old man's now stiff figure and observed the lack of movement in his chest.

His dread only grew after he cautiously grasped the old man's wrinkled hand and unsuccessfully tried to feel around for a pulse. It took this observation to fully convince Steve that he had an emergency on his hands and he anxiously stood up so that he could search for the nearest phone.

The sound of a distant engine both distracted and reminded him of his original plans. Steve froze as the bus drew closer and came to a stop in front of him. The doors to the vehicle opened and the driver gazed down at him, their only wish being that he board quickly so that no more time would be lost.

"Hurry up, son. We haven't got all night!"

Steve flew into a small panic at the sound of the driver's aggressive voice and he rushed aboard the bus without thinking, only remembering what he had failed to do when he looked out of the window to see the homeless man's still unresponsive body resting underneath the shelter.

* * *

Gloria sat on her bed in the dormitory she shared with Barbara while going through the reading material that had been assigned in class. The eerie silence in the room soon began to unnerve her however and she placed her book down in worry over the fact that Barbara still had not returned from her 'meeting' with Professor Kingston.

Her worries died not long after when Barbara finally entered the room with no signs of harsh treatment apart from a face that was paler than usual.

"That son of a bitch...telling me that I don't deserve to be here." Barbara muttered out loud before Gloria could ask about what had happened. "I mean, what was he expecting? Of course I'd be unprepared during my first class!"

Gloria decided not to intervene and went back to her required reading while Barbara continued to vent her anger over being humiliated by the professor just so he could demonstrate how the Socratic method worked.

The dormitory was quiet once again after Barbara had calmed down and also settled down to read her textbook. The peace was broken again an hour later however when Barbara looked up from her page and made an obvious but practical suggestion that Gloria cursed herself for not thinking of first.

"Hey, wouldn't it be better if we actually went over this together instead of just doing our own thing?"

"Sure, that's a great idea..." Gloria sighed, standing up from the bed and moving over to the table where Barbara was sitting.

* * *

The realization that he had abandoned a helpless old man plagued Steve for days afterwards. He himself noticed the negative effect his guilt was having on his interactions with his mother and other relatives, but he was unable to control the feeling when every morning he would arrive in the city and notice that the old man was no longer to be seen anywhere.

The growing tension between him and his mother came to a head one afternoon when the manager unexpectedly let him off work early, allowing him to return home much sooner than usual.

He entered the house through the open door and found his mother lying motionless on the couch. He slowly approached her unconscious figure and took a deep breath of relief when he observed that her chest was still rising and falling.

 _"But something still doesn't add up here..."_ Steve thought as he made his way through the kitchen and towards his bedroom. He froze when he saw the way several floorboards had been wrenched out of their places as if somebody had aggressively taken to them with a heavy crowbar.

He got down to his knees and upon closer inspection, realized that the small cavity where he often hid his hard earned money was now empty. He stood up as feelings of rage overcame him and stormed back to where his mother slept, determined to make a stand now that the final straw had been broken.

He grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her awake despite the terrified scream she gave in response. He released her from his hold once he was sure she was sufficiently alert and crossed his arms while she cowered from his towering figure.

"Where's the money gone?"

"What are you talking about?" She asked as she tried to feign ignorance, though it didn't fool him in the slightest.

"Don't play dumb. I know you had something to do with it." Steve stated matter-of-factly, knowing that he wasn't going to relent so easily this time. Regardless, he was unprepared for the stinging slap across the face that his mother gave him before he could react.

"I've spent half my life feeding and keeping you alive, and this is how you speak to me?! Well let me tell you, you'd better ask again only when you've repaid me..."

Steve stared at his mother speechlessly, his eyes wide in shock and the color rapidly draining from his face as he processed her words. He soon reached the point where he could no longer look directly at her and he stumbled back to his room, his cheeks still numb from when she'd hit him.

He grabbed the largest bag he could find and poured out all of the contents so that he could refill it with as much of his clothes as he could. He then stuffed some basic toiletries on top before zipping it shut.

He slowly made his way to the open front door as if in a fugue state and he found that he could no longer comprehend anything that his mother screamed as she tried to prevent him from leaving the house.

She thrust herself in the doorway in a final attempt to stop him, but he turned and swung his bag at her chest. She gave a cry and doubled over in pain, allowing him room to make his escape.

He dared not look back as he traveled further and further away, counting steadily in his head to calm himself and force all thoughts of his mother from his mind.


	6. Evil Woman

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Grace deals with her son's departure in the most sensible way she can. Barbara returns home for Christmas and is met with a shocking surprise.
> 
> The title of this chapter comes from the song by Electric Light Orchestra.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter covers roughly the end of 1976, with the next one touching on early 1977. The story will hopefully speed up after that, with a few more key characters and flashbacks on the way.
> 
> No prizes for guessing who the 'Evil Woman' is/will be.

_"So, you're the infamous Grace Donovan?"_

_Grace turned to meet eyes with the boy beside her and wondered why he still had doubts over her identity. She thought she had made everything abundantly clear before she'd climbed into his car to liven the night up._

_"Who else could I be?" She retorted as her dark eyebrows furrowed in irritation._

_"I know who you are..." The boy explained. "It's just that I was expecting something more..."_

_"Are you saying that I wasn't good enough for you?"_

_"No, not at all. I think you're great.-"_

_"Then what's the problem?" Grace snapped, her impatience growing._

_The boy turned to face her, allowing her to finally see clearly the features that had been so muddied in the darkness of the car. He was handsome enough, with his bright blue eyes and easygoing smile._

_"...You're not exactly the kind of girl I think of when I hear the name 'Grace'."_

_Grace's spirits fell even further upon hearing his words. She'd always been bothered by how ill-fitting her name was, but this was the first time somebody had actually pointed it out to her. It made her feel upset for reasons she couldn't figure out._

_"Then who do you think of?" She asked after several moments._

_"Someone classy, like Grace Kelly...though I think you're more of an Elizabeth Taylor." He said with a wide smile._

_"You're too kind."_

_"By the way, my name's Ross. You can make up your own mind as to whether it fits me or not."_

_"Oh, I think it suits you perfectly..." Grace purred as her mood lifted once again. She inched closer towards Ross and as she rested her hand against his arm, she wondered if she had just found the start of something special._

* * *

Grace awoke from her dream of a more carefree time and she sat up in bed, painfully contemplating everything that had happened over the past two days.

 _"Elizabeth Taylor, my ass. You only said that so I'd keep sleeping with you..."_ She thought bitterly while sliding sideways and letting her feet drop to the floor.

She headed to the bathroom after a light breakfast and glanced in the mirror while splashing cold water on her face. She got to work combing her long dark hair and running it through with the old curling iron, before carefully applying lipstick and powder to conceal her wrinkles.

 _"Well, I guess I don't look that bad for thirty-seven..."_ She tried to reassure herself as she grabbed her handbag and strode out the front door on her way to the police station, where she planned on filing a missing person report.

* * *

Ross had waited eagerly for a word from his son ever since the chance meeting in the hardware store, but when a month passed without any response, he had been more than ready to give up on trying to reconcile with the boy.

It came as a pleasant surprise therefore when Steve finally showed up outside his apartment room a good two months later, at which he was more than willing to forgive his son for being so slow to make up his mind.

"Sorry for intruding on you, Dad...but I've got nowhere else to go..."

"There's no need to apologize, you're always welcome-" Ross interrupted his son's apology, only to pause abruptly when he saw the uncertainty in the eighteen year old's eyes.

"Your mother kicked you out of the house, didn't she?" He asked once Steve had placed his bag down and found a place to sit.

"You could say that..." Steve lied, clasping his hands in guilt as he remembered striking his mother in the chest.

"Then I guess I should tell you something. No matter what your mother might say, not everything bad that happens is your fault..."

"Yeah, but maybe not this time..."

"What do you mean?"

Steve glanced nervously at his father and gave a shrug as a way of showing that he wasn't ready to discuss such matters yet.

Ross read the sign and knew it was best to leave his son alone for the time being, despite his own eagerness to prove his abilities as a father.

* * *

"Honey, are you feeling alright? You look like you've been to hell and back." Lesley asked in concern upon seeing her daughter returning for Christmas break.

"I'm fine, Mom. It's just the schoolwork that's exhausting..."

Barbara walked past her mother and prepared to climb the stairs to her bedroom, only for the older woman to come and drag her by the arm to the dining table.

"Barbara, you know I can't leave you alone until you've had a proper meal..." Lesley explained, pushing her daughter into the nearest vacant seat and sliding a steaming plate towards her. "Eat as much as you can. Don't worry about your father, I'll take care of him when he comes back."

Barbara stared down at the food on her plate while her mother returned to the kitchen. She picked up her knife and fork and began to cut apart a piece of meat before forcing it into her mouth despite her complete lack of appetite.

The sound of footsteps outside the front door some time later served to relieve Barbara's nerves. There was no doubt that once her father was present, all attention would turn to him and she would be free to do as she pleased.

To her shock, the man at the door turned out to be a police officer instead. She took a step backwards, unable to feel anything but intimidated by the authority figure's presence.

"Sorry to interrupt your time, young lady." He began to speak, reaching for a pen and notepad. "But I believe your name is Barbara Sullivan?"

"Yes." Barbara replied.

"And you are a friend of Steve Donovan?"

"Yes, how do you know?"

"His mother reported him as missing yesterday. According to her, you were one of the last people to speak to him before his disappearance, so we thought you might know something that we don't."

Barbara swallowed, unsure of how to respond to the officer's request. She hadn't seen Steven for at least three months and truth be told, she was already beginning to forget his face, to her own dismay.

After what seemed like forever, she was finally able to bring herself to say something, though it worried her to hear those words coming from her own mouth.

"Officer, I actually don't know him very well at all, and I haven't seen him for weeks."

The police officer looked up from his notepad and glared at her in suspicion, before asking to speak to the owner of the house as well. Barbara obeyed and wasted no time in rushing into the kitchen to explain things to her mother as best as she could.

* * *

"You know, you've really grown a lot since I last saw you." Ross remarked to his son while the latter was busy unpacking his bag.

"Well, what else were you expecting me to do?" Steve countered harshly as he pulled out a wrinkled t-shirt and tried to fold it as neatly as possible.

"Then how about that little girl you always used to play with? She was a pretty kid..."

"You mean Barbara, right?"

"Yes, that's the one."

"I don't know...she was going to law school the last time I saw her."

"You two aren't so close anymore, are you?"

"No, not really..." Steve said sadly. He dropped the pile of clothes he was holding and lowered his head as he recalled the uncertain answer she'd given on the night of the prom.

He resumed his task and dumped the rest of his bag's contents out in frustration, only to remember the two rock albums she had bought for him not long before she'd left for the city. There was no doubt the records were now in his mother's possession and a feeling of dread came over him as he realized that Grace probably had no idea of their true value.

Steve stormed out of the apartment and down the corridor, knowing he wouldn't forgive himself if he didn't act fast. Ross tried to follow him in confusion, but he was in the lift slamming buttons before the older man could reach him.

A single ring sounded as soon as the lift reached the bottom floor and Steve stepped out to make his way directly to the large phone mounted on the wall. He yanked the receiver from it's position and dialed an all too familiar number before waiting impatiently for the line to pick up.

* * *

Barbara was rudely awoken from her sleep by the sound of the phone ringing from downstairs. She reluctantly leaped out from underneath the covers and hurriedly tiptoed out into the hallway while lamenting being unable to put on something warm.

_"Who on earth could be calling this late at night? I hope it isn't the police again..."_

"Hello?" She greeted once she had successfully navigated the darkness and reached the phone before the line died.

_"Barbara, is that you?"_

"Steve?!" She exclaimed before she could remind herself that her parents were also in the house.

_"Listen, there's something I need to tell you..."_

Barbara paused and lowered the receiver a little, knowing that whenever Steve spoke in that tone, she was bound to hear some bad news.


	7. The Things We Do for Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The title of this chapter comes from the song by 10cc.

_"Are you sure about this?" Barbara asked Steve as he produced a small vial of some green powder and placed it on the kitchen bench beside the mixing bowl. "Oregano doesn't go in cookies..."  
_

_"It's not oregano." He insisted as he prepared to open up the vial._

_"Then what is it?"_

_"I don't know, but my Mom gets happy every time she has some, so maybe it'll make your cookies taste better."  
_

_Barbara paused and looked closely at the contents of the vial, unable to think of anything else but the herb her mother sprinkled on the roast lamb at Christmas. She had never seen such a thing being used in sweets, but she decided to give Steve's idea a chance, convincing herself that his family's ways were simply different from her own.  
_

_"Fine, put it in." She replied with a wave of her hand._

_Steve smiled before pouring the contents into the cookie dough. Barbara reached for the wooden spoon as soon as he was finished so that she could stir the powder into the mixture before anybody noticed._

* * *

"...Barbara, are you feeling alright?" Roger inquired in concern upon noticing that his daughter no longer seemed to be paying attention to his words.

"What? Oh, I'm perfectly fine, Dad..." Barbara muttered in confusion as her mind fell back into the present. She raised her head and looked straight at the television screen, where a news reporter spoke calmly about some recent music related scandal in the United Kingdom.

"Are you sure? There's no need to hide your feelings. I know you're upset that your friend has disappeared..."

Barbara turned away from the television to stare at her father while remembering the promise Steve had asked her to make the night before. She was not to tell anybody of his whereabouts regardless of how tempting it was, in order to prevent his mother from finding him for as long as possible.

It had already been a couple of weeks since she'd first heard from the police and she knew it was getting harder to keep the secret to herself, especially when his other relatives were beginning to fear the worst.

Even so, Barbara forced herself to keep up her pretense and nodded to her father in agreement. She let him wrap his arm around her shoulder and as he spoke words of reassurance, she was suddenly reminded of the way he used to comfort her as a child whenever she was plagued by nightmares.

* * *

"This is what you wore when you were eighteen? I feel like I belong on Happy Days..." Steve muttered in horror as he eyed his reflection and realized just how strange he looked wearing Ross' old hand-me-downs.

Ross sighed and quickly darted his eyes towards the rumbling washing machine before glancing back at his son.

"Steve, nobody's going to see. You'll be wearing a coat anyway."

"But Dad, tight jeans are for-"

"Since you're going out anyway, could you buy me a pack of cigarettes when you come back?" Ross interrupted, much to his son's annoyance. "It's freezing in here..."

"Sure..." Steve gave in, as he slipped on a brown jacket and dropped spare change into one of the pockets. He left the small apartment and trudged slowly down the stairs, thinking about his phone conversation with Barbara and the plans she'd explained to him.

He remembered her saying something about buying tickets and going to see a movie, though she had kept the exact title a secret, claiming that it was supposed to be a surprise.

Knowing her as a person, it wasn't the first time she had tried to pull off such a scheme. However, it was currently the middle of winter and the snow was falling heavily outside, so it bothered him whether she would be able to reach her destination without experiencing a severe delay.

* * *

Ross lounged in his chair, watching a rerun of some family sitcom to pass the time while he awaited Steve's return. Five minutes passed before he found himself unable to take anymore of the saccharine show and he swiftly switched off the television, opting to help himself to a quick snack instead.

A loud knock sounded without warning and he shut the fridge before taking cautious steps forward, thinking it odd that his son would be back so soon.

He approached the door expecting to see the offspring of his former partner, only to instead meet eyes with an attractive young blonde whom he felt he'd met before.

 _"I must be dreaming..."_ He thought as he tried to figure out why such a person was standing outside his apartment.

"You're Steve's Dad, right? I haven't seen you in ages..." She began with a smile, inadvertently filling Ross with a sense of shame at being unable to recognize his son's childhood friend. He wasn't sure how to respond, so he decided to let her do all the talking in the hope he would find his way.

"Is Steve anywhere around here?" She asked, flashing her white teeth again.

"I just sent him out to buy cigarettes. What do you want with him?" Ross replied as he opened the door wider and ushered her inside where it was a little warmer.

Barbara stared at him while deducing from his behavior that he had no idea of the pointless police search being conducted to find the whereabouts of his son. Her frustration began to grow, but she managed to suppress it in favor of maintaining a seemingly cheerful facade.

"Oh, he and I are going on a date. It's a secret though, so you can't tell anyone..." She explained while making her best attempt to sound flirtatious.

Ross' eyes widened at the news.

"I didn't think he actually had it in him..."

"Well, you'd be surprised..." Barbara said cheekily, continuing her act without hesitation.

* * *

"I'm back." Steve announced as he walked in through the door. He stopped abruptly and almost dropped the pack of cigarettes upon seeing Barbara involved in a deep conversation with his father.

Barbara sensed his presence before he could speak. She quickly excused herself and took a step forward as she turned to face him.

"We should really get going now. The movie starts in an hour." She said urgently, taking him by the hand and leading him back out in the hallway.

"I know that. I just need to give this to my Dad." Steve protested. He broke himself from her grasp and rushed back into the apartment to toss the cigarettes to Ross, before running out again to join her.

"So, how are we going to get to the theater?" He asked later while they descended a flight of stairs together.

Barbara smiled. "My Dad let me borrow his old car for today. He even had the gas refilled just for me."

"You know, stuff come too easy for you sometimes..." Steve remarked in disbelief and bitterness that he seldom got such things from his parents for free.

"You're just jealous, aren't you?" Barbara responded nonchalantly.

* * *

Steve rolled his eyes as he got into the passenger seat beside Barbara and saw the pair of tickets resting in the glove box. He hastily reached out to grab one of them, but Barbara stopped his hand halfway.

"Only when we get to the cinema..." She said as she gently pushed his arm away and shut the glove box.

Once Barbara had adjusted her seat and the rear view mirror to make herself comfortable, she inserted the keys into the ignition and gave a sharp twist. As the car engine spluttered into life, she remembered her father's advice that it was best to give a vehicle some time to warm up before one went driving in freezing weather.

She decided to spend the next five minutes having a catch up conversation with her friend.

"You must be wondering why I'm doing this. Remember the prom?"

"Yeah, I still can't believe high school's all over..."

"Well, I was wrong to have talked to you like that. I guess I really just wanted to make things up to you anyway I could..."

"Actually, I kind of got the message when you sent those two albums to me..." Steve scoffed in response. The last thing he wanted to hear was some emotional apology that would ironically only serve to make him feel even more guilty.

"Oh, I almost forgot about that..." Barbara said sheepishly. "...But anyway, I was thinking this could be like our first date, if you know what I mean."

"First date, you say?" Steve remarked, his eyes widening in surprise.

"Yeah..."

Steve paused as he stared at her smiling, hopeful face. He knew there was no denying that she looked beautiful, even while dressed in a heavy winter coat, with a thick scarf wrapped around her neck and a poorly matched beanie atop her head.

He recalled how with all the years he'd spent by her side, it was inevitable that he'd fall for her somewhere along the way. Yet so much had happened to him since graduation, what with his evening job, the falling out with his mother and the encounters with a homeless veteran, that the pain he'd felt on prom night now seemed insignificant in comparison.

"Barbara, remember what I said to you that night?" He finally asked after much reflection.

"Of course I do. Why do you think we're doing this in the first place?"

Steve sighed. "I want you to forget it. What I felt for you was just a crush. Nothing more..."

"So you didn't really mean what you said?"

Barbara shifted her gaze away from Steve as she mused over his words. The seconds went by and he could have sworn there was a look of sadness in her eyes for just a moment before her smile returned.

"Well, I guess that's a weight off my shoulders..." She said as she turned back to face him. "...It's about time we got a move on, don't you think?"

"Yep. We've just wasted ten minutes." Steve sighed in agreement while she changed gears and cautiously pulled away from the sidewalk.

* * *

"Well, that was quite an underdog story, if ever I saw one..." Steve murmured while he wearily stumbled through the apartment door and fumbled around for the light switch.

"Yeah, really inspirational..." Barbara nodded, before straightening up and attempting an exaggerated accent. "Adrian! Adrian!"

"Hey, nice impression..."

Steve switched on the light and he disappeared into the next room, returning a minute later with a small paper bag.

"Hey, where's your Dad? I can't see him anywhere..." Barbara called out upon seeing Steve again, her sense of time apparently skewed by the beer they'd smuggled into the theater earlier.

"I don't know, but he says he has to work even on holidays, so I guess that's what he's doing..."

Barbara blinked as Steve sat down opposite her, resting the paper bag and a large pipe on the floor between them.

"I found this in my Dad's hiding place." He explained. "I thought we could try some together, just like old times..."

* * *

The room was soon filled with a pungent stench, as puffs of smoke floated around between the two teenagers while both drifted off into their own worlds.

"...If I ever turn fifty and enter politics, remind me to start a campaign to make this stuff legal..." Barbara said with a shrill giggle as she lost her balance yet again.

"Why wait until you're fifty? Why not start now?" Steve asked in amusement as he tried to make out where she was in the room.

"Are you kidding? I don't even know how to vote. Man, that was one awesome training scene..." She trailed off before getting distracted by something on the ceiling that only she could see.

"I don't see what's the big deal with that guy. I could totally outrun him in a race, and I don't even work out..."

* * *

The sound of footsteps outside the apartment went unnoticed by both Barbara and Steven as their nightly activities finally took a toll on them and they passed out together from exhaustion.

Ross entered just in time to see them lying fast asleep beside each other on the floor.

 _"This will be the death of me..."_ He thought, shaking his head in both amusement and dread as he went off to find a can of air freshener.


	8. Welcome to My Nightmare

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our two protagonists go back to work and school as vacation comes to an end. Gloria is approached to star in an anti-drug film.
> 
> The title of this chapter comes from the song by Alice Cooper.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter covers early to mid-1977, which means that the events take place over a few months rather than a few days.
> 
> Whose nightmare was worse? You decide...

"So, what are you going to do when you get back to work?" Barbara asked in concern as she sat in the driver's seat and looked out of the window at Steve.

"You mean next week?"

"Yeah."

"What I always do. Restock shelves, talk to customers, use the cash register..."

"No, I'm talking about showing yourself in public. The cops are still looking for you."

"Oh, I didn't think of that..." Steve replied in uncertainty. "I guess I'll just have to wing it somehow?"

"Well, good luck with that..." Barbara said with an impatient sigh, before glancing in the opposite direction to check for oncoming traffic.

* * *

Barbara thought it a miracle that she was able to get all the way home unscathed, considering that her head was still buzzing as a result of the previous night and she was experiencing great difficulty keeping her eyes fixed on the road.

_"That's it. I'll never drink before I drive again..."_

She eventually made it to her house and drove slowly into the garage after what had seemed like half a day, though deep down she knew that only an hour had passed at the most.

Her surroundings were eerily quiet as she turned off the ignition and stepped out of the car to shut the garage door. She entered the main part of the house through a side door to encounter the same disconcerting silence and upon approaching the fridge to satisfy her hunger, remembered that both her parents had likely left for work early.

* * *

Steve charged through the doors of the hardware store, five minutes late and eager to get to work quickly. He froze in surprise however, when he saw his boss being interviewed by two policemen several feet away.

A sense of paranoia overcame him and he crept around the side of the store, keeping himself hidden behind the large shelves and thus avoiding being discovered by the cops.

His efforts proved to be ultimately pointless by the time he went off to take his first break. While he sat eating a sandwich and minding his own business, one of the policemen from before entered the lunchroom and began to eye him threateningly.

Steve put down his sandwich and swallowed before daring himself to make eye contact with the authority figure.

The two males stared at each other in this way for a minute, after which the officer finally broke his gaze and began to approach the table with a stern look on his face.

"Your name, son?"

 _"Well, I guess this is it. I've been found..."_ Steve's thoughts raced as he swallowed again.

* * *

"Gloria, what the hell happened to you?" Barbara dropped her lunch in shock when she saw the other girl approach her table while covered from head to waist in some sticky red substance.

"Oh, it's a long story..." Gloria began to explain as she sat down opposite Barbara. "I met a group of film students last week, and they asked me to be in their anti-drug movie. Part of it involved them dumping a bucket of fake blood all over me."

"Wow, sounds pretty intense. By the way, why did it have to be blood?"

"I had to play a murder victim."

"Okay..." Barbara responded. The only times she'd ever heard of drug use resulting in bloodshed was when news stories went around about deals going extremely wrong.

She wondered if Gloria's film had been about that sort of drama and she decided to find out for sure.

"Let me guess, your character was killed by a drug dealer?" She asked while keeping a straight face.

"No, the movie was about a boy who overdoses and goes into a dark haze, during which he kills everyone he loves. Think something along the lines of Reefer Madness."

"So, who were you?"

"Me? I was the girlfriend who tries to snap him out of his rage, only to die a tragic but well-timed death at the end of his knife."

"I see. Well, how was the acting?"

"Let's see..." Gloria smiled as she recollected the experience. "Carlos, the guy who was the drug addict was pretty good and I actually got a bit scared of him. As for me, I think I did alright. I mostly just hammed it up the best I could."

"How long have you been covered with that stuff?" Barbara changed the subject after finishing her lunch. "You really should take a shower and get changed. I think it's starting to dry..."

"Yeah, I guess so..." Gloria sighed as she looked down at the dark patch on her t-shirt.

* * *

Steve trudged up the stairs after another long shift, the encounter with the two cops still heavy on his mind. This combined with his sole desire to get some rest, led him to be oblivious to his surroundings until he unwittingly bumped shoulders with a complete stranger.

He stopped and spun around to apologize to the person, only to find that they were already on the next flight of stairs, their long brown hair trailing behind them as they disappeared from his view.

Steve shrugged and made the short distance back to his father's place, where he declined all offers of food in favor of lying down in his makeshift bed and closing his eyes.

Thoughts of Barbara and Ross gave way to darker imaginings as he drifted further into slumber.

* * *

_Steve opened his eyes to find himself strapped to a hospital bed in a spotless white room, with not a single other person in sight apart from a smiling young nurse standing beside him._

_"Feeling alright, dear?" She cooed, leaning over and resting a hand on his bare arm with a smile._

_"No, you have to tell me why I'm here." He protested as he tried to pull himself up to no avail._

_"Oh, did no one care to inform you?" The nurse remarked in surprise. "You're here to receive a compulsory immunization as per government policies."_

_Steve took a deep breath and stared at the restraints around both of his wrists._

_"If it's just an injection, then why do I have to be tied down?"_

_"How should I put it? Well, some patients have been known to struggle and kick in the past..."_

_"What?"_

_"...But I'm sure you won't do anything of the sort. You look like a tough young man..."_

_Before Steve could ask another question to bring light to the confusing situation, the nurse got to work applying an alcohol swab to his right arm and inserting a sterile needle into her syringe._

_"It will only take a minute, if it makes you feel better..." She calmly reassured him as she bent down again to do her work. "You can always look away if you can't stand the sight."_

_To his own surprise, Steve found himself feeling inclined to obey despite his better judgement. He rolled his head over to look at the opposite side of the room, before a sudden and sharp prick caused him to wince in pain._

_The pain faded and gave way to numbness within only a few seconds. The feeling gave Steve a strange feeling of contentment, even as the lights became blinding and his muscles gradually lost their sensation._

_The ticking of a clock on the wall was the final thing he heard before unconsciousness claimed him completely. All the while, the nurse methodically observed the way his inert body reacted to the drug she'd administered, taking detailed notes while his heart and brain activity steadily waned._

_Several minutes passed and the nurse took his vital signs to ensure that all traces of life had left his body. Once she was confident that he was long gone, she carefully undid his restraints and pressed a button underneath the bed to alert a senior colleague._

_Two men in surgical masks and aprons promptly entered the room. She stepped aside to allow them room as they covered the body with a large white sheet and wheeled it away to be destroyed._

* * *

_Barbara was unsure why her hands were tied behind her back and a guard was pushing her roughly along through a crowd of unfamiliar faces whom looked upon her in pity._

_It was only when she saw the blackened stake in the middle of the square like something from a movie, that she realized what was going to happen. She screamed and tried to rip herself free from the guard's grip, only to receive a swift punch to the face that knocked her out._

_By the time she came to, thick chains were being wrapped around her torso in order to fasten her to the stake. She tried yet again to struggle free, despite how futile her efforts proved to be._

_A masked executioner approached and she managed to kick a pile of wood off the platform at him in defiance. He seemed unfazed by this however and continued on his path, flaming torch held upright in his hand._

_"Any last words before you die?" He whispered once he was standing by her side._

_Barbara twisted her head to glare straight into his emotionless eyes, even while her face was caked with blood and her hair was a sticky mess._

_"As a matter of fact, I do..." She said bravely without breaking focus._

_"Well, fire away..." The executioner encouraged her, before letting out a quiet chuckle._

_"Don't I at least deserve a fair trial? Whatever it is that I've been accused of doing, I'm pretty sure you'd find that I'm actually innocent."_

_A brief pause followed in which Barbara felt terror for the first time as the eyes of the spectators all fixed on her, their looks of pity replaced by a clear restlessness._

_"Sorry babe, but you don't deserve such rights..." The executioner replied in amusement, breaking the silence._

_"But why?!" Barbara cried out in desperation._

_"You failed your law exam. That's why." He replied as he let the torch fall._

_The crowd cheered when the first tongues of fire began to lick around Barbara's feet and ankles. Her chest heaved as she tried to keep herself screaming from the searing pain ._

* * *

Barbara awoke from her dream with a panicked gasp to find that she was still sitting at her desk, textbook wide open in front of her. She raised her head and craned her sore neck to scan her surroundings.

In the corner of her eye, she saw Gloria lying on her bed reading.

"Gloria, why didn't you wake me up before?" She moaned wearily to the other girl in confusion.

"You looked exhausted, so I thought it would be better to just let you sleep." Gloria explained without looking up from her notes.

"Let me sleep? I should be studying as much as I can!"

"Suit yourself then. Just don't come crying to me when your own body decides to betray you..."

Barbara ignored her friend's advice and continued pushing herself to stay focused despite her aching eyes and back. She began to doze off again after an hour and she had to kick herself to stay awake.

"You know what I could really do with right now..." She muttered to Gloria without turning around. "Coffee. Lots of it."

"Oh no..." Gloria groaned in despair, letting her face drop so that it was buried in the book she was poring over.


	9. Stayin' Alive

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A character from the first chapter returns for a small role.  
> Barbara and Gloria reminisce about past times, only for their relationship to be strained by a sudden and traumatic event.
> 
> The title of this chapter comes from the song by the Bee Gees.

Mr Caruso placed his steaming mug down and joined his numerous colleagues at the table before a staff meeting was due to begin. A curly haired woman by the name of Shirley seated herself beside him and he pretended to enjoy her company despite finding her tedious in actuality.

He turned away from her in relief when the principal finally stood up and addressed the people in the room. He began to speak gravely about the recent news that a mysterious man had allegedly been seen supplying drugs to teenagers, before warning everybody to be a little more vigilant when observing the behavior of their students.

The meeting was called to a close and he left the staff room to find his first class for the day. It occurred to him while he strode through the hall how much of a hypocrite he was to be teaching young people right from wrong when he himself had experimented with acid in college and knocked up his girlfriend at the age of nineteen.

 _"Don't beat yourself up. People with worse stories have became respected teachers."_ He halfheartedly tried to console himself as he located his classroom and the crowd of adolescents restlessly gathered outside.

* * *

"You won't believe what I did today in the library..." Barbara said smugly as she entered the dormitory and dropped her heavy bag to the floor.

"Let me guess, you made out with some random, unsuspecting guy?" Gloria remarked sarcastically upon being distracted from her reading of an important case.

"No, why would I do that?!" Barbara exclaimed, feeling a little offended at her roommate's response.

"I don't know...I was just joking."

Barbara sighed and decided to let the matter drop. She reached down and unzipped her bag to pull out a large book, before displaying it's cover to Gloria with pride.

"Professor Kingston wrote this." She explained, turning around to place the book on her own desk. "It was the only copy available, so I couldn't take any chances. I thought that by reading it, I could understand how his mind works and be able to keep up with him in class. Know thy enemy, as they say..."

"Know thy enemy? Don't you think you're getting a little obsessed with that old man?"

"Obsessed? Why would you think that? I'm just serious about what I do, that's all."

"Whatever..." Gloria gave up, realizing it was a waste of time to be arguing about her classmate's different way of approaching study. She turned back to her own work, only to find herself unable to concentrate as her mind instead drifted to an incident that took place when she was twelve.

* * *

_Gloria resented her parents greatly for throwing her into an environment where she stood out like a sore thumb. Only a week had passed since her first class, though the time had seemed twice as long with all of the apprehensive stares and general sense of hostility.  
_

_The last straw came one Monday afternoon after a group of senior boys had thrown rubbish at her and called out all sorts of racial slurs as she ran from them in fear._

_Her flight took her from one end of the schoolyard to the other and she finally came to a stop near the fence, where she took deep breaths to calm herself down._

_She would have burst into tears right then and there, had it not been for the sudden arrival of two smaller children, both of whom stopped in tracks upon seeing her.  
_

_The odd pair had eyed her in surprise and she found herself sizing them up in return. One was an innocent looking girl with long blonde hair in a ribbon and the other was a dark haired boy with shifty eyes and thick eyebrows._

_What the two had in common despite their differing physical appearances were their equally scrawny builds and it dawned on Gloria that she could easily be at an advantage were she to take them on in an fight._

_With the harsh words of the older boys still weighing heavily on her mind, Gloria wound up taking out her anger first on the little girl whose presence irritated her more than the boy's.  
_

_What Gloria did not expect was for Goldilocks to get up and retaliate after she'd been pushed to the ground. Dainty hands latched onto the collar of Gloria's dress and scratched at her face, at which she instinctively kicked the other girl in the shin to defend herself.  
_

_The blonde girl staggered back, clutching her knee in pain and for a moment Gloria thought she'd won. However, her new enemy soon recuperated and was upon her again, this time with the support of her male friend.  
_

_It was rather surreal, the way they tried to tackle her as if they were predators and she was the prey. She thrust her elbow into the boy's face when he attacked her from behind, temporarily blinding him in one eye and ensuring that any contribution he made to the fight was futile.  
_

_With one threat gone, Gloria prepared to face her rival again. She clenched her fist while imagining that she was a fearless hero from a movie she'd watched years before, only for an aggressive adult voice to harshly pierce her ears before she could deliver a powerful blow._

_The boy managed to stand up and nurse his bloodshot right eye just in time for the disappointed teacher to demand that the three children follow her to the principal's office immediately._

* * *

"It was pretty crazy, the way I first met you and Steven, don't you think?"

"Gloria, we've already been over this. You were angry and wanted to let off steam. We just happened to be the first ones in your way."

"Well, how about afterwards when the principal made us both take part in that fundraiser? That was the first time the other kids started to like me."

"How dare you remind me..." Barbara groaned, finally losing all focus as she remembered how Steve's 'special' ingredient had caused her cookies to taste rather odd, resulting in them being quite unpopular among parents and teachers.

"So, have you been in touch with Steven lately?" Gloria changed the subject after hearing the bitterness in the other girl's voice.

"Not really. I've been very busy, if you didn't already-"

Barbara's sentence was cut short by an anguished scream from out in the corridor. She and Gloria both froze in terror as an uncomfortable silence followed, during which the sound of the second hand ticking seemed almost ominous.

"What was that?" Gloria said in a hushed whisper before the screaming resumed, this time accompanied by a loud banging that sent vibrations throughout much of the dormitory.

It took a while for them both to summon up the courage to investigate. They crept out into the hall together to find that they weren't the only curious ones.

As several of their classmates also crowded around the place, it soon became clear just what was going on.

An older male student whom Barbara recognized for his prominent sideburns stumbled into the hallway, deep into his mental breakdown and a shadow of his former self as he prattled incoherently while shedding pitiful tears.

It was the frighteningly clear suicide threat however that resulted in him being restrained and emergency services called so that he could be removed from the building.

The two girls returned to their room to continue their required reading a mere couple minutes after the ordeal was over.

Neither of them made any attempt to speak or look at each other for the rest of the night, instead focusing solely on their own attempts to prepare for the next class until morning arrived.

* * *

The realization that he was now older than his mother was when she had given birth to him, fell upon Steve like a net while he lay in bed and tried to get some sleep.

_"You haven't done bad in life at all. You're earning money and you have a roof over your head...all that's missing is-"_

Steve's body tensed up when he thought about his friend at law school, slowly heading towards a highly demanding but prosperous career. A feeling of envy and resentment began to grow inside him, steadily fueled by the possibility that he was doomed to work unskilled jobs for the rest of his life.

 _"I guess at the end of the day, I'll always be the one falling behind..."_ He thought to himself as he got up and made his way to the fridge to get a can of beer.

He popped it open and gulped the bitter liquid down in his desperation to temporarily forget all that made him feel insecure and unworthy.

Little did he know that on the other side of the city, a young woman was also experiencing feelings of inadequacy as she sat in a cinema, watching a romantic comedy while binging on popcorn in an attempt to ease her heartbreak.

The empty seat beside her only served as a reminder of what her night could have been like, if only she hadn't decided to make that impromptu visit to her boyfriend's place the week before.

* * *

Elsewhere, a young man stopped to briefly and vainly study his reflection in a shop window before strutting on down the street, his fine clothes and suave looks attracting the stares of quite a few women.

He ignored their attention however as his focus lay solely on the girl waiting for him outside the disco, her dark complexion and bright makeup making her appearance seem almost otherworldly in the neon lights.


	10. So Into You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Barbara becomes the third wheel to Gloria and her new boyfriend when they go to a disco to celebrate the end of exams. Steve manages to catch the attention of an attractive woman, though not in the way that he'd hoped. 
> 
> The title of this chapter comes from the song by Atlanta Rhythm Section.

"So, just the two of us?"

"Actually, I have a friend who's supposed to be here too. I think she's late..." Gloria explained to the young man before her while glancing around anxiously for a sign of Barbara.

"That's too bad then. I can't wait any longer..." He sighed, unable to hold his patience anymore. He began to take off towards the entrance of the disco, only for Gloria to hurriedly grab him by the arm and pull him back.

"See, she's coming right now." Gloria pointed down the street at the fair haired girl moving as fast as her white jumpsuit and heels would allow her.

"That's her?"

"Yeah. Is something wrong?"

"No, nothing's wrong. I just didn't think she would be as pretty as you..."

Gloria turned to stare at her companion incredulously upon hearing his statement.

"Was that supposed to be an insult or a compliment?"

"It was whatever you want it to be..." He replied without a moment's thought.

* * *

Steve reached the top of the stairs and approached his father's apartment while reaching into his pocket for the spare key to unlock the door. He was about to insert the piece of metal into the keyhole, when the sound of a slamming door startled him.

He quickly turned his head to meet eyes with the young woman emerging from the opposite side of the hall, though what was intended as a mere glance soon turned into a prolonged gaze, as he took in the way her wavy hair cascaded down her bare shoulders and framed her smooth face.

A pathetic 'hi' was all he was able to say to her before she lost interest and continued on past him, carrying herself down the stairs in an almost haughty manner.

He couldn't help but notice her shapely waist and legs as she disappeared around a corner, not realizing that he was standing frozen like a fool until Ross suddenly called his name.

"Steve, checking that one out?"

"No, I wasn't...what are you doing? Shouldn't you be at work?"

"There's been a change, son. Anyway, you should make a move on her. If you don't, I will."

Steve thought back to what he remembered of the woman's face before sighing and staring at his father in disbelief.

"Go ahead then, Dad. I don't care..." He replied with a shrug, only to immediately feel a pang of regret that left him rather confused.

He didn't know her name or her voice, yet the thought of her was already enough to make him feel hot all over. He thought back to the time when he'd felt love for Barbara and it became clear that this was a different sort of attraction altogether.

The sort of attraction that made him wake up in bed feeling like he was on fire, before realizing that the sheets were all wet.

* * *

"By the way, that's Carlos, the guy I told you about earlier..." Gloria explained to Barbara while the young man was busy ordering drinks for the three of them.

"He's a film student, right?" Barbara replied, remembering the time when her friend had arrived at the cafe covered in fake blood.

"You could say that..." Gloria said with a sigh as Carlos passed a small glass to her, before seating himself down and drawing her attention towards him instead.

Barbara turned away upon realizing that they only wanted to enjoy each others' company and she spent the next few minutes sipping her drink slowly while observing the various people roaming the dance floor.

It wasn't long before music began to play and Gloria and Carlos both stood up excitedly to dance, leaving her with only the bartender for company. She watched bitterly as they sailed across the floor together with ease while wondering why on earth she had come without a date of her own.

A feeling of jealousy steadily arose in her when she saw how well Carlos guided Gloria along and how effortless his moves were. It wasn't the only thing that seemed to come naturally to him though, for the more she focused solely on him, the clearer it became that she had never seen a man so graceful and impeccably groomed.

It seemed that there was not a hair on his head out of place and not a single wrinkle or crease visible in the outfit he wore. Such attention to his appearance made almost every other male she'd met in life, including Steve and her respected sales executive father, look like a lazy slob in comparison.

She instinctively stood up to act on her desires, only to sit back down again as the rational part of her mind regained control. After all, she'd learned as a child from several books and movies that trying to take another girl's partner seldom ended well for all involved.

* * *

Mr Caruso returned home in a foul mood to the apartment that he shared with his wife and young son, after the last lesson of the day had been made difficult by a rather audacious fifteen year old whom had actively set out to break as many rules as possible.

He forced himself to smile regardless while he walked into the kitchen to see his spouse juggling the tasks of preparing dinner and dealing with a difficult toddler.

"Well, aren't you going to help me out here?" She called out pleadingly to him while she pouring soup ingredients into a pot on the stove. "Keep him distracted, please..."

He obeyed her without question and scooped up the screaming child, before seating the little boy in a chair in the hope of figuring out what was troubling him.

A poorly timed phone call interrupted him before he could make much progress and he rushed to answer, allowing the toddler time to escape while he dodged his wife and reached for the receiver.

"Hello?" He greeted the caller, before recognizing the shaky voice as belonging to his more well-off sister.

He thought he heard a great deal of despair in her voice as she asked him to turn on the television and it was with great unease that he later did as she said, only to be met with an immensely shocking story being reported on the news.

* * *

"There's been a change of plans. You're taking Christopher to the movies tonight." Roger said in his typical businesslike manner as he entered his daughter's room to find her hard at work at her desk.

"But Dad, I have a whole night's worth of reading to do..." Barbara protested, but her father wasn't swayed.

"I know you're really busy, but I have to leave soon and your mother's still grieving..." He hurriedly explained before tossing his old car keys towards her and disappearing down the hall.

Barbara rose from her chair after several moments of consideration and left her room to go downstairs with the keys in her hand. Her father was already gone by the time she started up the secondhand car and reversed out of the driveway in the opposite direction of her aunt and uncle's place.

 _"I've borrowed this car so many times, even they're starting to think it's actually mine..."_ She thought in amusement as she parked outside their house and let her younger cousin into the back seat before pulling away from the kerb.

"Hey, that's dangerous!" Christopher yelled at her after she'd swerved around a corner in a hurry.

"Do you want to get there in time or not?" She rashly replied, only to realize that he did indeed have a point, at which she gently pressed her foot on the brake to slow down.

* * *

Barbara allowed Christopher to follow her while she went to buy popcorn for them both. They ended up at the back of a long queue and she gritted her teeth in dismay, thinking that the night couldn't get any more troublesome.

A vaguely familiar voice abruptly called out her name after a few minutes had passed. She instinctively gripped her cousin's hand tighter as he turned to see who it was.

"Hey, long time no see..." Her former classmate Kevin said cheerily with a wave as he approached.

"What are you doing here?" She demanded to know in her shock.

"I should ask you that. I didn't think someone like you would be interested in space..." He continued, unfazed by the defensive look on her face.

"Oh, I'm actually here because of my cousin. See?" She tried to explain, nudging Christopher forward a little to prove her point.

"Nah, that's still better than nothing." Kevin shrugged. "Mind if I join you later? It gets kind of boring watching this stuff by myself."

Barbara opened her mouth to rebuff his request before having second thoughts. She remembered how badly she had responded to Steve's words a year before and quickly changed her mind, deciding to use this moment as a chance to redeem herself.

"Sure, that would be great." She replied, loosening her hold on Christopher without realizing.

"Thanks, you have no idea what this means to me..." Kevin said with a bright smile before he left her side and waved goodbye.

Barbara turned back to her cousin while feeling as if she had just performed a charitable deed. She found herself feeling more at ease as they advanced slightly further in the line, until her cousin's runny mouth spoiled the mood.

"I didn't know you liked ugly guys..." He remarked, causing her to stare down at him in horror.

* * *

Barbara wasted no time in giving her farewells to Kevin and hurrying Christopher back to the car once the movie was over. She headed home as soon as her cousin was back under his parent's guard and quickly tried to get back to what she'd been doing before.

She found herself unable to concentrate however as the epic story and special effects from the film continued to linger strongly in her memory. As such, she decided to get a good night's sleep instead and catch up on her study in the morning.

It was while she was taking off her jeans so that she could change into a nightdress, that she noticed a slight bulge in one of the pockets. She reached in and upon finding a scrunched up piece of paper, unraveled it to see an unfamiliar phone number.

 _"Call me if you ever get lonely. Kevin."_ She silently read with a sigh, before tucking the piece of paper between the pages of her book for later consideration.

* * *

A middle aged man entered the large room with his head bowed down in shame, while a police officer ushered him up against the wall so that his mug shot could be taken.

He raised his head and reluctantly stared straight at the camera lens as per the officer's orders, before a flash of light temporarily blinded him. Knowing very well what was coming next, the man turned to face the right wall so that the photographer could take a profile shot.

After the harrowing process was over, he was asked to hand over his valuables. He removed his wrist watch and tossed it on to the table with some defiance, despite knowing that it was solely his own decisions that had led him to this current situation.

_"Grace...Steven...I'm so sorry..."_

* * *

Steve was met with an eerie silence as he entered the apartment and found the place in mild disorder. It didn't take long for him to theorize that the mess was likely linked to his father's absence and some sort of struggle may have taken place.

He turned an upside down chair back to it's proper position before he made for the door and walked back into the corridor in his paranoia. He glanced warily from one end of the hall to the other, only turning back when he was sufficiently sure that there was no threat around.

The sound of another door opening startled him and he anxiously turned his head to find the woman from across the hall staring straight at him.

In contrast to their previous encounter, the pride in her eyes was now replaced with pity as she exited her apartment and began to approach him. Feeling somewhat intimidated, he took a step backwards while wondering why she was suddenly showing an interest in him.

"Are you alright?" She asked softly, stopping as she sensed his discomfort.

Steve found himself unable to answer as the confusion of the situation swept over him. Fortunately, she seemed to be the patient type, letting the minor discourtesy slide and changing the subject.

"I guess I should tell you that the police came here last night..."

He stopped to listen, knowing that she was about to shed some light on what had happened.

"I saw them arresting your Dad. That's who he is, right?"

"Are you sure? What did he look like?" Steve asked her out of both a small remnant of hope and a need to confirm that Ross was indeed the man mentioned.

"Tall, with sideburns and a long brown beard. Ross is his name, right?"

"Yeah, that's him..." He interrupted as he became increasingly sure that his father wouldn't be coming back for a long time.

"It was? I'm so sorry..." She apologized, taking a step forward so that she was right in front of him. "...but then again, I guess he won't be harrassing me anymore."

"That's great..." Steve replied sheepishly, finding that the matter of his Dad's arrest had somehow become insignificant as a result of having this girl talk to him.

"Well, you seem a little more decent. My name's Karen, by the way. You can ask me for help if things get difficult..."


	11. Hold the Line

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve befriends a new coworker while his parents reunite in prison and Barbara trains for a job with the help of an old classmate. 
> 
> This chapter covers the year 1978 in general and the title comes from the song by Toto.

"Grace?"

The dark haired woman said nothing while she was escorted to the small room where Ross awaited her conjugal visit. Upon arrival, she dully requested some privacy and the guard reluctantly obliged by shutting the door once she was inside.

"You know, you've visited me more times than Steven..." Ross remarked, studying her face and seeing that some spirit still remained in her eyes.

"He's an ungrateful boy, isn't he?" She countered bitterly as she sat down beside him. "He never comes to see me either."

"And why would that be?"

"I don't know..."

"Listen..." Ross finally replied after a couple minutes of silence. "Don't you think he deserves better than us? We've been nothing but failures..."

"No, we haven't..." Grace protested quietly, tears clouding her vision as she found herself unable to accept his words of defeat.

"I'm afraid we are." Ross insisted, turning away from her to stare at the wall instead. "And it's too late for us now."

* * *

Steve barely managed to stifle a yawn before he entered the store at ten minutes to nine. A week had passed since the boss had switched him to regular day shifts and he had yet to fully adjust to the change after spending over a year doing evening work.

He expected to be thrown straight into the usual business of customer service and operating a cash register, so it came as a surprise when he was called to the office to meet a new employee.

"This is Sharon." His boss explained, gesturing to a young girl slouched against the wall. "She's just started here, so I want you to be her guide and show her around. Think of yourself as her mentor for today."

The older man was gone before Steve had time to express his feelings of doubt. He anxiously turned to face his new coworker and she smiled back in a way that convinced him she was going to be difficult to deal with.

"Alright, why don't we start by going over each section?" He forced himself to begin, despite his deep and growing sense of urgency.

"Whatever, I'm sure I can figure it all out on my own." Sharon responded with an apathetic shrug. "But I guess I'll follow you around anyway, so it looks like we're doing something..."

"Fine..." Steve sighed. "We'll get straight to restocking then. The storeroom's this way..."

* * *

"So, what's your name?" Sharon piped up while she helped him push a large trolley through the aisle.

"Steve."

"How long have you been working here?" She continued, her previous apathy quickly giving way to a curious innocence.

"Almost two years now..." Steve replied after doing a rough calculation in his mind.

"Wow, I don't think I could stand being here for that long. How old are you?"

"Nineteen." He hastily lied, feeling ashamed that he was still working such a job at the age of twenty. "How about you?"

"Me? I'll be eighteen in August."

"So, you're still in high school, right?"

"Yeah, I am..." She muttered, her voice faltering as if she wasn't quite sure of her own words.

* * *

"Miss Sullivan? Could you share the facts of the case with us?"

Several heads immediately turned to stare at Barbara and she looked up from her book, stunned by the sudden mass of attention. She managed to look past all of the faces however and focus solely on her professor as he awaited her response.

As she began to recite what she knew, it felt as if the past two years had been building up exclusively to this moment. Once she was finished with outlining all of the important points she could think of, the professor wasted no time in challenging everything she had just said.

She initially found some difficulty in countering his probing questions, though it seemed to get easier the more she pushed herself to speak, until he eventually went quiet and continued on with rest the of the class, a look of surprise in his eyes.

It was while she was in her room later that she felt an unexpected but short lived moment of euphoria at the realization she had finally succeeded in making a decent impression on her professor.

 _"I hope this means he'll respect me a little more from now on..."_ She thought as she collapsed upon her bed, before remembering that her work was far from over. She rolled over and reached for the textbook again, pushing it open and causing a wrinkled piece of paper to fall out before her.

"Oh..." She muttered out loud, suddenly remembering the night she'd spent with Kevin over six months before.

* * *

Steve entered the apartment in high spirits, only for his morale to plummet when he was greeted by the overly cheery sound of an ABBA song being played on Karen's record machine.

The sight of her exercising to the music while wearing a sweatband and tights was too much for his eyes to bear. He continued on while pretending he couldn't see what she was doing, though she tried to make conversation with him regardless.

"How was your day?" She asked without falling a single second out of time with the music.

"It was alright." He replied, feigning indifference as he walked over to the fridge to find half of it filled with her 'health foods'. He couldn't understand why any sane person would want to eat that sort of stuff, though if it helped her body look great despite her terrible taste in clothes, then he guessed it wasn't his part to complain.

Besides, he still needed her around so that paying the rent wouldn't be as much of a struggle, however tempting it was for him to tell her to turn off the music and change into something more fitting to his tastes.

He fired a quick glance in her direction while he made himself a sandwich, once again taking in the sight of her athletic figure.

* * *

"So you put the ice in the shaker last?"

"Yes, that way the drink won't get diluted..." Kevin explained as he supervised Barbara while she practiced making cocktails.

"And then what?" She asked after she had scooped the right amount of ice into the shaker.

"You put the cap on and shake it for about twenty seconds."

"Like this?" Barbara questioned as she followed his instructions and began to shake the contents vigorously.

"Yeah." He nodded in approval while he quickly reached for the strainer and an appropriate glass to serve the drink in.

Less than a minute later, he and Barbara found themselves standing together eyeing the martini she had just made. He picked up the glass and studied the color before taking a sip.

"Not bad, but I think you'll need a few more days before you're ready to work at the bar." He remarked, putting the drink back down on the bench.

"Well, aren't you going to drink the rest of it?" Barbara spoke up after staring at the full glass for several more seconds.

"Oh yeah..."

 _"When she said she wanted to meet me, this wasn't what I had in mind!"_ He thought in disappointment as he downed the drink and felt his own face heat up.

* * *

"Carlos, I think we should talk..." Gloria sighed as she collapsed beside her boyfriend in bed.

"Right now?" He asked fearfully, knowing from her expression and tone of voice that whatever she was about to share wouldn't be good.

"Yes."

"But we just made love..."

"I know. I guess I wanted to do it with you one more time before we broke up..."

"What?!" Carlos cried, sitting up in shock.

"It's my parents..." Gloria continued, wanting to get the burden off her shoulders as soon as possible. "You know them. One day they're all about equality and being liberal, then the next they're as conservative as the pope. If they knew the kind of boy you really are, they'd freak out."

"And who said they have to know about us? We can keep things secret, can't we?"

"Not in the long run, we can't."

"Long run?"

"Yeah, wasn't that the way we'd planned it?" Gloria rolled over to look at him one last time. "But I guess after tonight, we'll have to be just friends..."

"Wait, is this really it?!" Carlos begged in desperation as she got up to get dressed.

"I'm afraid so." She replied without turning around.

"So we won't see each other again?"

"Oh, we can still hang out. Just no sex, or meeting my family." She rephrased her earlier statement after slipping her sweater back on.

Carlos could only watch helplessly as she left the room fully clothed while he remained in bed naked. He found it hard to believe she could take the apparent end of their relationship in such stride and expected her to have a change of heart at the last moment.

An hour passed and it finally became clear that she was gone for good. Carlos began to shift himself for the first time since she'd disappeared into the hall, the idea of no longer being able to touch her feeling like an insurmountable task.


	12. Wonderful Tonight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The title of this chapter comes from the song by Eric Clapton.

_"I thought you said you didn't have a car..." Sharon said in surprise as she hopped into the secondhand vehicle and sat down beside Steve._

_"Well, a friend of mine got a new car for her birthday and she decided to give the old one to me..." He explained, reaching into the glove box and pulling out a small, brightly colored bag of candy._

_"Old or new, this is still the first time I've been-"_

_"By the way, happy seventeenth..." Steve interrupted, dropping the bag into her lap. Sharon looked down at her poor excuse of a birthday present and turned to him in horror.  
_

_"H-how did you know?" She asked in a frightened whisper._

_"Your file was on display in the office. When you said you were turning eighteen, you never told me the year it would happen." He explained smugly, before shoving her gently on the shoulder to signal that he wanted her out of the vehicle.  
_

_"So what if I lied? I'm still of legal age!" Sharon yelled in protest once she was outside, only for Steve to slam the door shut and drive out of the car park as fast as he could._

* * *

"You shaved your head just because of that?" Ross remarked in disapproval while he sat opposite Steve and stared at the result of his son's rash decision.

"It seemed like a good idea at the time..." Steve sighed, reaching a hand to his forehead. "It looks terrible, doesn't it?"

"Son, you were cool before. Now you look like some square about to join the military."

"Yeah, I guess so. Then again, if I'm going to be helping people fix cars, this might be more practical."

"Whatever suits your new lifestyle..." Ross declared in defeat, turning away from his son just as a prison guard entered to escort him back to his cell.

Steve remained in his seat for a couple more minutes after Ross had gone, recalling the sentence and estimating that it would be at least another two years before his father had a chance of walking free again.

 _"I'll try to make you proud, even if you couldn't care less..."_ He silently vowed as he left the room by himself.

* * *

"So, any plans for Christmas this year?" Kevin asked his colleague without losing focus on the large amount of limes he had to slice for the day.

"Well, this is the first time I'll be spending it away from my parents, so I guess some quiet time would be just fine." Barbara replied while she refilled a large tub to the brim with blocks of ice.

"What you just said could just as well apply to me too." Kevin said in amusement before glancing at the clock. "Oh, looks like it's time to open this place..."

"I'll do it." Barbara insisted as she strode out from behind the counter and made her way to the front doors.

The rest of the evening turned out to be rather busy, with all of the people who'd just begun vacation and were in the mood to drink something special for a change. Added to that was the sudden departure of a third coworker halfway through the shift, which left Barbara and Kevin with a seemingly unending line of orders to get through.

They both collapsed on separate bar stools once the last customer had left the venue and smiled at each other in accomplishment. A few minutes passed and Kevin stood up with a sigh, having already regained his energy. He went back behind the counter and used some of the leftover stock to prepare two more cocktails, before sliding one of them towards Barbara.

"I guess it's really over between us, huh?" He spoke up after she'd grabbed her glass and thanked him for the free drink.

"What?"

"You're with Carlos now, aren't you? What he's like?"

"Oh, he's amazing. I don't know what Gloria was thinking when she dumped him."

Kevin almost choked on his drink upon hearing her answer. He looked up at her, feeling conflicted over whether it was right to tell her the truth about Gloria's former boyfriend.

_"Nah, I should just let her find out on her own. It'll be more fun that way."_

* * *

Barbara arrived outside the small apartment she now called home and unlocked the door to a dark silence. She soon fixed that however by turning on the light and the television to see if anything interesting was being shown.

She ended up watching a gripping a news report about a hostage crisis going on in the Middle East. The footage of demonstrations and unfolding violence reminded her of an incident that had occurred when she was ten years old, where she had decided out of curiosity to spy on her parents while they watched news of the Vietnam War on TV.

The memory of how she had ran back to bed crying and tried to hide her despair the following morning returned to haunt her. She found herself unable to watch anymore of the program and switched off the television before heading off to prepare for bed.

To her relief, the act of lying down combined with the lack of disruptive noise worked well to ease her feelings of unrest. Still, she couldn't help but wonder if endless cycles of war were the inevitable fate of mankind and contrary to what the counterculture had once preached, true peace could only be achieved if all of humanity was eradicated.

 _"God, I'm thinking far too deep into things..."_ She told herself as she rolled over just in time for the bedside phone to ring and disturb the silence. She answered and it became clear that Gloria was speaking on the other end.

"A New Year's Party at your brother's place? Sure, I'd be glad to come."

_"Thanks. If you want, you could call Steven later and invite him as well. Don't worry about Kevin though, I've already told him."_

"Yeah, I'll do that..."

_"I'll see you there then. Goodbye..."_

Barbara put her finger on the dial pad after Gloria had hung up, jogging her memory in the hope of recalling how to contact the place where Steve lived.

* * *

Steve walked up the stairs to where the party was just beginning to take place. He entered to find a room filled mostly with strangers with Gloria and Kevin being the only two people he recognized.

He pushed past a few party guests so that he could find a place to sit on the couch and simply watch how things unfolded. A tall and well-built young man whom he assumed to be Gloria's brother stood in the corner and put a record on, so that the whole room was soon filled with the sound of disco music.

Strangely enough, Steve found that he no longer detested the songs he once mercilessly criticized for having apparently banal lyrics. He smiled upon realizing that his foot was tapping along instinctively to the beat and had to consciously remind himself not to get up and dance, knowing that he would look incredibly foolish if he did so.

A fair haired girl sauntered across the room and sat down beside him. He didn't think much of her presence until she called out to Gloria in an all too familiar voice, at which he wondered how he could have failed to see past the punk influenced makeup and recognize his old friend.

"Barbara?" He uttered in surprise while Gloria arrived at their side, a drink already in her hand.

Barbara quickly turned away from Gloria in confusion and stared at him, soon proving herself more adept at recognizing familiar faces than he was.

"Steve, you got a haircut too? I almost thought you were someone else..." She remarked, raising her darkened eyebrows in surprise.

"Yeah, I did. But I have to admit, you wear your's better than I do."

"Really?"

"Yeah, you look kind like of Debbie Harry..."

"Well, that's what I was going for." Barbara replied with a grin while she shifted to a little to allow room for Gloria.

"You're probably wondering how I got _my_ hair like this..." The other girl said as she sat down and ran a hand through her now voluminous curls.

"You had it permed?" Barbara guessed, leaning over to get a better look at the  new hairstyle.

"No, I just stopped straightening it." Gloria answered before taking a sip from her cup.

* * *

Roughly an hour passed before Gloria joined the rest of the guests on the balcony to count down to the New Year and watch the fireworks explode. Steve and Barbara both opted to remain indoors however, much to the chagrin of the others.

They finished their last drinks for the evening together and simply enjoyed each others' company while their dulled senses made them deaf to the loud chanting outside. It was the sound of fireworks that eventually startled them from their half-drunk stupors and they too rushed into the crowd, hand in hand as they stared in awe at the bright flurry of colors lighting up the night sky.

A temporary pause in the firework show allowed Steve to remember who he was with and he turned to face her, his eyes widening in pleasant surprise as he looked at her from head to toe.

He wasn't sure if it was just the alcohol and the exhaustion affecting his mind as she appeared to him the way she had looked on prom night, wearing a sleeveless blue dress and minimal makeup, with her blonde hair once again long and straight.

She smiled and reached out a hand to touch his shoulder. He responded by holding her gently around the waist as he slipped into unconsciousness.

* * *

Steve awoke to find himself in the backseat and the sky still as dark as it was before. He forced himself to sit up despite his sore back and was soon able to make out Barbara's figure while she sat behind the steering wheel.

"Are you alright? You looked pretty worn out when you passed out on the balcony." She asked as she turned to look at him in concern.

"I...I feel a little better..." Steve managed to mouth quietly before he collapsed again into a reclining position.

"I'll drive you home. Just try to relax..." She said reassuringly before the engine revved into life.

"What about my car?"

"We'll come back to get it tomorrow. It's New Years Day, I doubt anyone will care if you park too long..."

"Barbara?"

"Yes?"

"I love you."

"Same..."


	13. Whip It

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Well this is it, the final chapter. I was originally going to have the two protagonists end up together, but when I realized that it would defeat the whole concept of this story, I created a few more characters as potential love interests.
> 
> The title of this part comes from the song by Devo and as for the setting, most definitely late 1981 if you don't include the last section.

"Leaving already?" Mrs Jackson said in surprise when her son and daughter stood up from the table as soon as dinner was over. "Aren't you going to stay a few more minutes?"

"Sorry, Mom. We've got urgent business to see to." Gloria dismissed her mother's pleas as she grabbed her brother's arm and they hurried outside together. Mrs Jackson watched them both disappear in disappointment and gave a sigh while she wondered where she and her husband had gone wrong in raising them.

"So, where to this time?" Marvin later asked his younger sister while she adjusted the rear view mirror in the car.

"Remember that disco you took me to when I was eighteen?" Gloria said as she started the vehicle. "They said it's closing in a couple of weeks."

"Closing down?!" Marvin exclaimed in disbelief.

"Yes, and we can't waste anymore time!"

Gloria slammed her foot on the accelerator and within half an hour, she and her brother were on the highway towards the city, both eager to spend one last night at the disco before it became nothing but a relic and a distant memory.

* * *

Karen dropped her bag to the floor as she entered the apartment after another day working at the gym. She shut the door but did not lock it, knowing that Steven would be walking through it as well in an hour or two.

She grabbed her already prepared dinner from the fridge and heated it in the microwave before relaxing on the couch to watch some television. The screen flickered into life when she pressed a button on the remote control and she was stunned to see some surreal music video being broadcast.

She continued to watch the unusual program long after she'd finished eating, only getting up from her position when the door swung open and her boyfriend entered.

"Hey, want me to get anything ready for you?" She smiled as she approached and noticed the grease marks on his hands.

"Sure..." He sighed reluctantly before shuffling to the bathroom to clean himself and get changed.

Karen quickly put together a quick dinner for him while he was busy and took it upon herself to make it as visually appealing as she could. She presented it to him when he emerged twenty minutes later and he took it in gratitude, a look of surprise appearing on his face when he realized she'd finally taken his food preferences into account.

He joined her on the couch after he'd finished his meal and stared in confusion at the program being shown on the screen. Karen glanced at his neatly combed hair and clean shaven face, feeling glad that she could come home to someone decent looking and of average weight after spending eight hours working with people who tended to be on the heavier side.

"If this is the future of music, then maybe we do deserve to have a nuclear war on our hands..." Steve muttered in despair, interrupting her pleasant thoughts.

"Oh, I'm sure things aren't as bad as they look. This is mostly all pop, if you haven't noticed..."

"Yeah, but rock and punk are still dying..."

Karen gave a sigh and changed the channel in the hope of finding something that would cheer him up, only to switch off the television when nothing else interesting seemed to be on.

"Don't you think it's about time we went to bed?" She asked suggestively, inching towards him as the room fell silent.

"Already? It's not that late...oh..." Steve tried to protest before figuring out her true intentions. She gave him a pleased smile before standing up and heading to the bedroom to get ready for a long night.

* * *

Carlos entered the restaurant where he was supposed to be meeting Barbara and walked around in search of the table she'd booked. He found it with little difficulty, however the sight of what appeared to be a man wearing a trench coat with his face obscured by a newspaper filled him with doubt as to whether it was the right place.

Fortunately, the figure sensed his presence and placed the newspaper down before looking him in the eyes.

"Didn't recognize me, did you?" Barbara said with an amused grin while she brushed a loose strand of hair off her forehead.

Carlos gaped as he sat down opposite her. It was pretty clear now that the woman before him was none other than his girlfriend, though the trench coat and boyish short hair did serve to make her figure appear more masculine than it really was.

"Why did you get another haircut? You looked perfect before..."

Barbara simply laughed while she unbuttoned her coat to reveal a dark dress underneath. She stood up to drape her outer garment over the chair before sitting back down.

"Is this better?" She asked Carlos with a smirk.

"Yes."

"If you really want to know why I got my hair cut like this, well, I thought it would make people take me more seriously..."

"Ah."

"So, want to hear some good news?"

"Of course."

Barbara quickly glanced around the restaurant before leaning over and whispering in his ear. 

"That's great! How much did they-"

"Carlos, shh!" She interrupted while bringing a finger to her lips.

"Sorry."

"Anyway, I think we should get to deciding what we want to eat. We didn't come here just to talk..."

Carlos peeked at her while she was busy reading the menu and realized that even though her new career path was filling him with unease, it was too late to go back on their relationship, especially when she was now his only key to a socially acceptable life.

"I'm going to miss working at that cocktail bar, anyhow..." She quietly lamented, though he did not hear her over the chatter of other diners.

* * *

Patricia rubbed her eyes in exhaustion upon returning to the table after finally succeeding in putting an end to her infant son's crying. Her husband Tony sat alone marking a large stack of student essays, straining his eyes as he read through each one and decided on a final mark once he was finished.

She briefly considered the possibility of sharing the workload with him though she knew that he would never settle for it, with her lack of teaching experience. She lowered her head in dismay and prepared to return to her son's side, when Tony called her over gently.

"Pat, come and look at this. I didn't think this kid would do such a thing..."

"What?" She questioned upon arriving at his side and looking down at the page he'd been reading.

"Led Zeppelin..." He replied, pretending to circle one particular sentence with his pen.

"So, what's this student's name?" Patricia cracked a smile at the way a famous song line had been worked so seamlessly into the essay's context.

"Steven."

"The problem boy?"

"Yes."

A high pitched wail pierced the night and broke their brief moment of happiness together. Patricia sighed in exasperation and rushed to the cot to tend to their son, while Tony wrote down a large 'B plus' at the bottom of the page before moving on to the next student's work.


End file.
